Biowęgiel z pofermentacyjnej pozostałości kukurydzy hybrydowej - tani i wydajny sorbent metali ciężkich

Biochar produced from fermentation residue of maize hybrid was used in untreated form as a sorbent for the removal of Cd(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solution. The capability of biochar to immobilized ions was investigated by leaching test. Equilibrium between biochar sample and studied elements in solution was reached at a contact time 30 min for Zn(II) and 90 min for Pb(II) and Cd(II). The experimental data were described by pseudofirst-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, two- and three-parameter isotherms in non-linear form. The maximum sorption capacity achieved was 30.07 mg.g(-1) in the case of Cd(II) ions, 99.44 mg.g(-1) in the case of Pb( II) and 40.18 in the case of Zn(II). Biochar developed for this study is comparable to conventional biochar, low cost, non-toxic and experimental results show that is a suitable and efficient sorbent for Cd(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) removal from aqueous solutions.Web of Science26475774

Microstructural analysis and magnetic characterization of native and magnetically modified montmorillonite and vermiculite

Two clay minerals of the similar 2 : 1 layer structure and chemical composition, vermiculite and montmorillonite, were studied using a wide spectrum of experimental methods in their original states and the magnetically modified states after mixing with microwave-synthesized iron oxide particles. This magnetic modification led to different microstructural morphology influencing magnetic behaviour at room and more pronounced at low temperatures.Web of Scienceart. no. 373810

Magnetically modified peanut husks as an effective sorbent of heavy metals

Magnetically modified peanut husks were used as an adsorbent of cadmium and lead ions from aqueous solutions. Sorption and desorption experiments were carried out and adsorption isotherm models were calculated to assess the sorption capacity of the material. Langmuir adsorption isotherm was the best fitting model both in one-metal ion and two-metal ions solutions suggesting monolayer adsorption taking place. The observed desorption rate was very low, metals are therefore strongly bound on the surface of the adsorbent. Magnetically modified peanut husks were found to be suitable adsorbent for removal of heavy metal ions from water.Web of Science4154

Applications of biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles - A review

We present a comprehensive review of the applications of biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles (NPs). The biosynthesis of metallic NPs is the subject of a number of recent reviews, which focus on the various “bottom-up” biofabrication methods and characterization of the final products. Numerous applications exploit the advantages of biosynthesis over chemical or physical NP syntheses, including lower capital and operating expenses, reduced environmental impacts, and superior biocompatibility and stability of the NP products. The key applications reviewed here include biomedical applications, especially antimicrobial applications, but also imaging applications, catalytic applications such as reduction of environmental contaminants, and electrochemical applications including sensing. The discussion of each application is augmented with a critical review of the potential for continued development.Web of Science10104042402

Stabilization of aqueous dispersions of poly(methacrylic acid)-coated iron oxide nanoparticles by double hydrophilic block polyelectrolyte poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(N-methyl-2-vinylpyridinium iodide)

Aqueous dispersions of poly(methacrylic acid)-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (PMAA@SPIONs) and nanoparticles obtained by adding a layer of double-hydrophilic cationic block polyelectrolyte poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(N-methyl-2-vinylpyridinium iodide) (PEO-QP2VP) on PMAA@SPIONs were studied by a combination of static and dynamic light scattering, SAXS, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, probing the structure of the SPION aggregates on the lengthscale from 1 to 10$^3$ nm. Both SALS and AFM results indicate that adding a PEO-QP2VP layer to PMAA@SPIONs decreases the size of SPION aggregates formed in the dispersions. While TEM micrographs show that PEO-QP2VP@PMAA@SPION particles are less apt to form small clusters with the size of several tens nm compared to PMAA@SPION particles, the local clustering has no effect on the power law scattering behavior (I(q) ∼ q$^{−1.4}$) of the SPION dispersions at longer lengthscales (tens to hundreds nm), which reflects mainly polydispersity of the aggregates